Car roof



Nov. 30, 1943. c. D; BoNsALl.

GAR ROOF Filed April ll, 1942 /A/ VEA/Toe:

Patented Nov. 30, 1943 CAR ROOF Charles David Bonsall, Chicago, Ill.,assignor to Standard Railway Equipment Manufacturing Company, acorporation of Delaware Application April 11, 1942, Serial N0. 438,546

(Cl. S-5.4)

7 Claims.

This invention relates to metal car roof constructions of the type shownin my Patent No. 1,627,372 wherein the roof sheets extend from sideplate to side plate of the car and have raised panels along theiradjacent margins and upstanding flanges along the adjacent edges of saidpanels that are rigidly connected by a seam cap having outstanding baseflanges that rest on said panels, whereby said panels, flanges and seamcap cooperate so as together to form a standing seam construction whichfunctions as an outside carline or load carrying member of the roofconstruction. The principal object of the presentin- 'vention is toincrease the strength, rigidity, durability and Weatherproong qualitiesof the above l seam construction. The invention consists in continuingthe base flanges of the seam lcap outwardly beyond the raised sidemarginal panels of the roof sheets and thence offsetting themarginalportions of said base anges downwardly to bear against the lower planeportions of said sheets, thereby providing clear spaces between saidbase flanges and said sheets along said panels that serve as drainchannels for any water that leaks beneath the outer edges of said baseflanges and that also serve to break the line of contact between saidbase flanges and sheets and thus prevent flow of vwater through the seamby capillary attraction. The invention also consists in the parts and inthe arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this specification andwherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur,

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a portion of a car roof construction embodyingmy invention,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged Vertical transverse section through the eavesportion of the roof, the section being taken adjacent to one of the roofseams on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the eaves portion of theroof in the region oi one of the roof seams,

Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectionsthrough the roof on the lines 4-II and 5-5, respectively, in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary horizontal section through the roof at the sideplate on the line 6-6 in Fig. 2.

In the accompanying drawing, my invention is shown embodied in a carroof comprising metal side plates A of substantially Z-shapedcrosssection with the inner legs I upstanding and having inwardlyextending top flanges 2 disposed at an angle conforming to the pitch ofsaid roof., Metal roof sheets B span from side plate to side plate andrest on the inwardly extending top flanges 2 thereof. The roof sheetshave depending eaves flanges 3 that overhang the upstanding inner legs Ivof the side plates A and are rigidly secured to the outer faces of theinner legs I thereof by horizontal rivets 4.

As shown in my Paten-t No. 1,627,372, the roof sheets B have raisedfiat-topped panels E along their adjacent side margins and upstandi-ngflanges 6 along the edges of said margins that are covered by aninverted U-shaped metal seam cap C that is secured by rivets 1 to saidflanges and has outstanding base yflanges 8 that seat on said panels,whereby Ysaid panels, flanges and seam cap cooperate so as together toform a Arigid standing seam which -f-unctions as a load carry,- ingmember or outside carline of the `roof struc@ ture. As shown in thedraw-ing, the seam cap and seam flanges -I decrease indepth from pointsinwardly of the side plates to the eaves where they are turned down withthe eaves Vflanges 3 over `the vertical inner legs -I of said sideplates. As ythe depth of the vseam `flanges 6 and seam cap C decreases,Ythere ifs -a corresponding in.- crease yin the width of the raised sidemarginal panels 5 of the roof sheets and the Abase ila-nges 8 of saidcap towards the eaves, saidbaSe -an'ges and panels terminating1flushgwith the lower edge of the depending eaves -anges 3 of the roofsheets.

According to the present invention, the outstanding base flanges 8 ofthe seam cap C are extended, as at 9, beyond the inclined shoulders I0formed on the roof sheets by the raised side marginal panels 5 thereofand are thence inclined downwardly, as at II, at an angle correspondingsubstantially to the slope of said shoulders to the lower plane portionsof said sheets Where they terminate in depressed side marginal panels I2that seat or bear upon said lower plane portions of said sheets. Asshown in Fig. 6, a filler plate I3 is disposed between the upstandingleg I of each side plate and the downturned end of the side marginalpanels 5 of adjacent roof sheets and is held in place by the rivets 4that secure the depending eaves end of the roof sheets and seam caps tothe side plates. By this arrangement, spaces I4 are provided between theroof sheets and the base flanges 8 of the seam cap along raised sidemarginal panels 5 of said sheets, and these spaces extend continuouslyfrom end to end of said sheets and cap, including the downturned eavesportions thereof, and are preferably left open to the atmosphere attheir lcwer ends. The spaces I4 serve as drain channels or passagewaysfor carrying away any water that leaks beneath the depressed outermargins l2 of the base iianges 8 of the seam cap; they also serve asVentilating channels to keep said spaces dry; and they also serve tobreak the line of contactpbetween the roof sheets and said base flangesand thus prevent further ow of Water into the seam by capillaryattraction. The outwardly extended downwardly offset portions of theseam cap also serve to increase the strength, rigidity and durability ofthe standing seam construction, as well as increasing theweatherproofing qualities thereof.

What I claim is:

1. A car roof comprising side plates, roof sheets extending from sideplate to side plate and having raised nat-topped panels along theiradjacent margins and upstanding flanges along the adjacent edges Vofsaidpanels, and seam caps `Gpvvering said anges and having outstanding baseflanges which seat on said panels and extendoutwardly therebeyond andhave depressed marginal panels which seat on the body portions of saidsheets, thereby providing spaces between said roof sheets and baseflanges along the remote sides of said panels.

A 2. A car roof comprising side plates, roof sheets extending from sideplate to side plate and having raised flat-topped panels along theiradjacent margins and upstanding flanges along the adjacent edges of saidpanels, and seam caps covering said flanges and having outstanding baseflanges which seat on said panels and extend outwardly therebeyond andhave depressed marginal panels which seat on the body portions of saidsheets, thereby providing spaces between said roof sheets and baseflanges along the remote sides of said panels, said roof being turneddown vover and rigidly secured to the vertical faces. of said sideplates and said spaces being left open at the ends.

3. A roof for a railway car having spaced side plates, said roofcomprising roof sheets extending between and secured to the side platesand` having body portions with raised panels along their adjacentmargins with upstanding iianges along the adjacent edges of said panels,and a seam cap straddling said flanges and having outstanding baseportions which extend outwardly said roof sheets and said base portionsalong the remote sides of said panels.

4. A roof for a railway car having spaced side plates, said roofcomprising roof sheets extending between and secured to the side platesand having body portions with raised panels along their adjacent marginswith upstanding flanges `along the adjacent edges of said panels, and aseam cap straddling said flanges and having outstanding base portionswhich engage said raised panels and which extend outwardly beyond saidpanels and have depending marginal portions whichengage the bodyportions of said roof sheets, thereby providing spaces between saidYroof sheets and said base portions along the re-l mote sides of saidpanels.

5. A cal` roof as defined in claim 3, wherein the roof sheets, raisedpanels and seam cap are turned down over the side plates and said spacesare open at the lower ends thereof.

6. A roof for a railway car having spaced side plates, said roofcomprising roof sheets extending between and secured to the side platesand having body portions with raised panels along their adjacentmargins, and a seam cap secured to said roof sheets and overlying saidraised panels and having portions which extend outwardly beyond saidpanels and have depending marginal portions which engage the bodyportions of said roof sheets, thereby providing spaces between said roofsheets and said portions along the remote sides of said panels.

7. A roof for a railway car having spaced side plates, said roofcomprising roof sheets extending between and secured to the side platesand having body portions with raised panels along their adjacent marginswith upstanding ilanges along the adjacent edges of said panels, and aseam cap straddling said flanges and having outstanding base portionswhich extend outwardly beyond said panels and have depending mar'- ginalportions which extend below the level of the tops of said panels intoproximity to the body portions of the roof sheets, thereby providingspaces between said roof sheets and said base portions, along the remotesides of said panels.

CHARLES DAVID BONSALL.

